M1 Tank
Introduction File:M1-abrams_tank-1-.jpg|thumb|A M1A1 Abrams MBT]] The Allied M1A2 Abrams MBT is considered to be the strongest tank available in Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction and Mercenaries 2: World In Flames. Found only in very seldom instances of the first game, it is a rare prize, and should be treasured while in your possession. The Abrams is mounted with an incredibly large turret, which it can use to destroy almost every target. For the gunner, a 50 Caliber machine gun that can rip enemy infantry to shreds. These weapons, combined with the amazing armor the Abrams provides, makes this tank an incredible asset. If faced with one as a foe, treat it like any other tank, but deadlier. Kill the gunner, then hijack it like you would any other tank. Tactics When using the Abrams, you may feel as though you are invincible. However, if you want to keep your armored behemoth, you may want to tread carefully into battles. Enemies armed with Anti-tank rockets, as well as enemy helicopters can tear the tank apart very quickly. This vehicle can roll over any opposition, but watch out for ambushes in urban combat. It's cannon fires it's shell with much more velocity than a standard tank cannon (In fact, near instantaneous arrival), which means that it is much easier to shoot down enemy helicopters. And while you may be tempted to shoot at everything that moves, fire carefully. Once your cannon is out of ammo, your tank will basically be a sitting duck until it can collect a vehicle ammo crate. To help preserve ammo, when fighting vehicles, use only one shot. Since the shell travels extremely fast, you do not have to lead your target. One shot will destroy every other vehicle in the entire game, except maybe another Abrams. Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction The Abrams, as it appears in Playground of Destruction, is only found in a few instances of the game. The first time the player will most likely encounter the tank is during the first Mafia contract in the Northern Province, where, as part of a bonus objective, the mercenary must seize the tank and deliver it to the Mafia chop-shop within a time limit, or else an AN task force will bear down on the Abrams. The tank is also available during the Ace of Spades contract, where the player starts inside one during the final battle against Choi Song, along with two other M1 tanks. Later on in the mission after you rescue President Kim there might be one or two more waiting if one or both of the tanks from the first part of the mission survived. The tank you start in will not be replaced if destroyed. Also during the last Russian Mafia mission when you must defend the HQ you are given the option to drive the M1 you obtained earlier and use it against the NK assault force. Note that even if you didn't retrieve the M1, it will still appear. Mercenaries 2: World in Flames The Abrams returns in the sequel, albeit under the label of "Diplomat." Once again in use by the Allied Nations, it is no longer as rare as it was in the previous game, but as always, it is still incredibly powerful, able to obliterate all other vehicles with a single shot from its cannon and be able to survive about any other shots fired at it; however, it is still a tank and a small amount of anti-tank rockets can really bang it up, helicopters such as the Warsong Attack Helicopter can rip it apart if not dealt with quickly. The closest competitor is the Chinese Iron Mountain Heavy Tank which if encountered in numbers can overwhelm the Diplomat. Notes *The cannon deals much less splash damage than other tanks, meaning that you should always carry a gunner to deal with infantry. *It is also one of the faster, if not fastest, tank(s) in the game *In Playground of Destruction, the health is actually a percentage of the total health. The Abrams tank actually has 300 total health (Source: IGN) Category:Vehicles Category:Mercenaries